


(taking me) where i want to drown

by mirabi



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Beaches, Implied/Referenced Suicide, M/M, Meet-Cute, Pining Keith (Voltron), Sad Ending, Songfic, don't worry its not graphic, im sorry, it's based off A Beautiful Sea, its pretty sad, kind of, sing street au, they sorta know each other, yay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-05
Updated: 2017-09-05
Packaged: 2018-12-24 08:13:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,482
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12008661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mirabi/pseuds/mirabi
Summary: “Maybe you’ll meet a pretty lady on the beach,” he says suggestively, all wiggling eyebrows and cheeky smiles.There’s the Lance Keith knows. Or, well, has begun to know.





	(taking me) where i want to drown

**Author's Note:**

> this is based off 'A Beautiful Sea' from the movie Sing Street. enjoy!

**11:34 AM**

The hiss of the bus’ wheels screeching into action fills Keith’s ears as he looks up from his book. The bus station gets smaller and smaller outside his window and the town seems to wave ‘goodbye’ to him.

 

 _It’s just a day trip_ , he thinks, and he'll be back to his quiet apartment in only a few hours. Shiro had told Keith to leave the house once in a while, to take a trip. It was 'healthy' and suitable 'for a college student' to spend his weekends doing things other than working. Keith imagines his adoptive brother telling him so and rolls his eyes. It was like he was a father, not an older brother, sometimes.

 

Keith turns away from the dirty window of the bus to look around him; there aren't many people there, only a few elderly folk and one boy who appears to be his age. The latter sits closest to him and appears to be listening to music on some retro portable CD player; a closer look reveals the boy is quite tall and slim with warm, tan, skin, and sharp features. 

 

His eyes are closed and his head rests on the seat. He's so still, so seemingly unresponsive to the noise of the bus, that Keith only knows he's a living person from the way his chest slowly rises and falls with his breath.

 

As quick as Keith has started observing the boy, he whips his head up and dark blue eyes zero in on the former. A large grin spreads across his features and he removes his vintage headphones.

 

"Hey," he greets, smoothing down his hair and holding a hand out, "Keith, right?"

 

Keith stares at the hand wordlessly before taking it and replying, "Uh. Yeah. Do I know you?"

 

"I'm Lance? We go to school together? We're rivals, Keith. You know, Keith and Lance, neck-and-neck. I guess that doesn't matter now, but we definitely know each other," the boy, Lance, says, waving his arms in a ridiculous gesture.

 

Though Keith is sure he would notice someone so loud looking, he supposes it makes sense he doesn't recognize Lance - he hasn't befriended anyone in his class, hasn't paid any attention to anyone since Shiro returned from war, claimed MIA a year before. All he chooses to say, though, is, "Sorry, doesn't ring a bell. So you go to Altea U?"

 

This seems to satisfy Lance as he launches into a speech about their University, about his dream to explore the universe, about their other classmates, his friends, Pidge and Hunk. He continues to talk, his eyes shimmering with what Keith can recognize as fondness. "So, what about you? Why are you at AU?"

 

Keith feels incredibly lame as he stutters, "I-I like space." And it's true. He doesn't know what he wants to do in life, and he doesn't have a dream to follow like Lance does. 

 

Lance shrugs. "That's cool. Sometimes having a specific dream sucks, because if you don't succeed, then what?" His expression hardens for a moment, before a confident smile slips back on his face. "So. Keith. Tell me more about you." As Keith begins to hesitantly tell his story, he doesn’t stop to think that Lance has hardly said anything of himself.

 

**~~~~12:23 PM**

By the second time the bus has come to a stop, Keith knows he won’t make it to the beach for a while. He’s in no rush though, and only worries he and Lance may run out of road games to play. 

 

“I spy,” Keith hums, “something red.”

 

Lance scrunches his features in thought for a moment, then declares, “The fire exit.”

 

“Dammit Lance! This can’t just be luck. You’re definitely cheating,” Keith accuses playfully. He hears soft giggles as he drops his head into his hands. 

 

“It’s not my fault that I’m incredibly good at this game! Or that you chose the only red thing on this bus,” Lance shrugs. “Alright. I spy something blue.”

 

“No. This isn’t fair! Everything on this goddamn bus is blue, you heathen,” Keith complains, but there’s no heat behind it. He finds it crazy how well he and Lance fit together, if he’s honest. Having been utterly alone most of his life, being with someone who has such a presence isn’t something he’s used to - but he likes it. _He’s like the sun,_ Keith thinks.

 

 _Nope. Not today, gay thoughts. Nope,_ he quickly corrects his internal self before turning to Lance. “Is it my seat?”

 

**12:57 PM**

Keith glances at Lance for what feels like the hundredth time. They fall silent after Lance destroys him in I-Spy, and Lance appears to be dozing off. _This needs to stop. He’s a stranger practically_ , Keith thinks, his eyes roaming over Lance’s perfect nose, perfect mouth, and stupid, perfect, skin. He doesn’t have to be.

 

A closer inspection reveals he is, indeed, asleep; without all the bouncing energy, Lance looks almost sad, his features completely still.

 

Keith looks away. He doesn’t have time for crushes on perfect strangers.

 

 

**1:28 PM**

“We’re almost there. I can feel it,” Keith says, bouncing his leg with unused energy. 

 

“Or you could have just read the sign we just passed for the exit. Three miles away, it said, Mullet,” Lance yawns, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

 

“Thank God. I need to move. I don’t understand how you could even sleep on a bus,” admits Keith. 

 

**1:45 PM**

“Freedom,” Keith sighs, throwing his head back to breathe in the salty air. He’s never been one for long rides, so it’s no surprise walking off the bus feels so good. 

 

Lance falls into step next to him silently, grasping his bag with white knuckles. 

 

“You okay, man?” Keith asks. If anyone, he expected Lance to be more excited being at the beach. 

 

“Yeah. Totally. Where are you headed? I’m going to visit the beach maybe. It’s too cold to swim, though.” Lance says wistfully, eyes glued to the horizon.

 

“I think I’ll go to the beach too, but I’m not sure what I’ll do after,” Keith ponders. “Do you mind if I go with you? I mean, unless you’re meeting anyone o-or have plans or-“

 

“Yeah, yeah. Come with me, please.” Lance smiles brightly, and whatever anxiety Keith has about his proposal is gone. “Maybe you’ll meet a pretty lady on the beach,” he says suggestively, all wiggling eyebrows and cheeky smiles.

 

There’s the Lance Keith knows. Or, well, has begun to know. 

 

**2:32 PM**

Keith feels strangely at peace. The anxiety following him around all day is strangely absent as he watches the waves crash against the jagged rocks of the cliff just to his right and feels the sand beneath him. It’s been a while since they got here, but he doesn’t feel like leaving at all. _I’ll have to thank Shiro for sending me here_ , Keith reminds himself. His thoughts are promptly interrupted by a tap on his shoulder. 

 

Lance is there, of course. “Hey, are you good here? I want to c-check out the lighthouse.” He’s smiling, but something’s off.

 

“Yeah, of course. That lighthouse is pretty old, right? Be careful.” Before Keith can figure what’s wrong, he’s swept up into Lance’s embrace. Oh.

 

“It was nice meeting you again, Keith,” Lance says, letting go of the former and grabbing his bag swiftly.  
  
“Of course, but I’ll see you on the return trip, right?”

 

“Yeah, you bet. See you,” Lance grins, and then turns to leave the little beach. _What a mystery,_ Keith thinks to himself.

 

**3:11 PM**

Keith checks his phone’s clock for the third time. Now a fourth. He’s sure been up there a while, huh? The beach is starting to get chilly as a wind sweeps up the sand and the waves get a little higher. He’s sure Lance hasn’t come down yet.

 

He gathers his own items and makes the trek toward the lighthouse. After all, the view must be incredible. Soon, he’s at the top and only a little out of breath. The small viewing area behind the railing is empty.

 

All it takes is a moment of pondering before Keith realizes. _No, no, no_. It all makes no sense but at the same time, it does. 

 

_If you don't succeed, then what?_

 

_It was nice meeting you again, Keith._

 

_See you._

 

No, that can’t be it. There must be something missing. Keith races around the top of the lighthouse, looking for a door, a missing staircase to another level. Nothing. Far below him, waves crash menacingly on so-very-sharp rocks. _No, no, no._

 

Keith asks the old attendant at the bottom of the lighthouse if he’s seen anyone come down since Lance went up. He says no, that it’s been a quiet day besides himself and that other lad.

 

 _There must be a mistake,_ Keith thinks, but no. He’s gone.

**Author's Note:**

> :') are you crying too


End file.
